Personnel Updates
• Cliff’s Local Market (7) has appointed Derek Thurston as the new Director of Foodservice.
• The Fresh Market Inc. (129) has appointed Chris Himebauch as its Senior VP and Chief Human Resources Officer. He succeeds Yvonne Cowser Yancy.
• Harps Food Stores Inc. (44) announced Kim Eskew, President and CEO, has been elected Chairman. He succeeds Roger Collins, who is retiring.
• The Parker Companies (17) has promoted COO Jeff Bush to President, effective Jan. 1. He will assume the position from President and CEO Greg Parker, who will continue as Chairman and CEO.
• Sheetz Inc. (93) announced former Exec VP of Operations Travis Sheetz is advancing to the role of President and COO, making him the first COO in Sheetz’s history. The company also named Adam Sheetz as VP of Operations.
• Sprouts Farmers Markets (82) announced its CEO Amin Maredia is stepping down from his role. Current President and COO Jim Nielsen, along with CFO Brad Lukow, will serve as co-interim CEOs until a permanent successor has been named.
Mergers and Acquisitions
• BP has reached an agreement to purchase Thorntons Inc.
• C & S Wholesale Grocers Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire Olean Wholesale Grocery Co-op Inc.
• Casey’s General Stores Inc. has acquired two convenience stores in Desloge, MO, and Park Hills, MO from Bauman Oil Distributors Inc.
• Couche-Tard Inc. has closed on the sale of substantially all of the assets of Carls Oil Company Inc., which includes four convenience stores and gas stations.
• Sobeys Inc. has finalized its deal to buy Farm Boy Inc., which operates 26 stores in southeastern Ontario.
• Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. signed an agreement to acquire U.S. Oil & Refining Co. The transaction is expected to close in January 2019.
• Parkland Fuel Corporation will acquire Holbrook, AZ based distributor Bradco Inc.
• Raley’s Family of Fine Stores plans to sell its 13 Aisle 1 gas stations in Northern California and Nevada to fuel and convenience-store retailer Anabi Oil.
• SpartanNash Company plans to acquire Martin’s Super Markets Inc. which operates 21 stores in Indiana and Michigan.
• TravelCenters of America LLC has sold its Minit Mart convenience store business to EG Group. The deal includes 225 standalone convenience stores, one standalone restaurant, five parcels of land and certain related assets.
• United Natural Foods Inc. is selling all but one of its Hornbacher’s stores to Coborn’s Inc.
Real Estate
• Global Partners LLC is selling 11 company-operated convenience stores with gasoline in New York.
• Great Lakes Fresh Market is closing two of its three Muskegon, MI, locations.
• Harris Teeter Inc. recently opened its largest store to date, a nearly 100,000 sq. ft. store in New Bern, NC. The new location replaces an approximately 55,000 sq. ft. Harris Teeter also in New Bern.
• H-E-B recently broke ground on the site of what will be a 1.6 million sq. ft. warehouse in San Antonio, TX. It is expected to be complete by 2020.
• Lidl US, LLC said that it plans to buy 27 Best Market supermarkets in New York and New Jersey. The acquired stores will be converted to the Lidl banner.
• Lund Food Holdings Inc. will open eight new Lunds & Byerlys stores in 2019.
• Publix Super Markets Inc. has announced a sixth location for its GreenWise store concept. The new store will open in Fort Lauderdale, FL; the date has not yet been determined.
• RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. recently celebrated the opening of its 500th store in Hapeville, GA.
• Whole Foods Market Inc. recently opened its first Whole Foods Market 365 stores in Atlanta, GA.
Technology News
• The Kroger Co. will soon introduce its first automated warehouse in Monroe, OH.
• SpartanNash Company has launched Check Out Now; a scan, bag, and go mobile app.
Just because we don’t mention it here doesn’t mean it didn’t happen – or we didn’t capture it. In the past four weeks, we’ve updated more than 603 companies in the Supermarket, Grocery, & Convenience Stores PLUS Database, with many of those companies’ records updated at multiple points.
